


Winter Blossoms

by LifeinFanfiction



Category: Free!
Genre: Boys Being Idiots, Fluff, Getting Together, Haru is adorable when he's shy, M/M, Nagisa is a Little Shit, Pre-Free! Eternal Summer, Rin is a dork, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 12:46:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13190385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LifeinFanfiction/pseuds/LifeinFanfiction
Summary: “Shut up, Nagisa,” Haru glares, looking as embarrassed as Rin has ever seen him.“Wait wait wait. Why did Nagisa rig the exchange? Why did you know about it? And what does that have to do with where you got the flowers?”The Iwatobi boys are planning a Secret Santa for Christmas and of course Rin is invited! Only, Nagisa seems to be acting rather suspicious and Haru's awfully embarrassed about his gift.





	Winter Blossoms

**Author's Note:**

> My gift for the lovely Kartika Irenne L for the Free! Eternal Summer Fans FB group 2017 Secret Santa exchange! I hope you like it!

_Brrrring!_ The sound of the doorbell echoed through the house, causing Haru to look up from his book on famous Japanese waterfalls to where Rin was sprawling on the couch, leafing through sports magazines.

“Rin. Go get it.”

Bristling, Rin gets to his feet, making sure to send an annoyed glare at Haru, who had already returned his attention to his book. The bastard. More than once this week, Rin had found himself questioning his spur-of-the-moment decision to say yes to Haru’s invitation to stay over during the Christmas holidays. They had been practicing at the Samezuka pool, one of the few places where swimming was still an option in December, and where they had always understood each other best. Haru had just completed another awe-inspiring lap (not that Rin would ever admit to that) when he pulled himself out of the water and popped the question, wide blue eyes peering inquiringly at Rin. And while their recently recovered friendship was still new and awkward at times, it never crossed Rin’s mind to say “no”. This last week, however…

Rin had discovered that Haru was _infuriating_. He was entirely unwilling to deviate from his regular schedule, which appeared to include unreasonably long morning baths, repeatedly inspecting and trying on his absolutely identical set of swimsuits, and eating mackerel _at every meal_. He also had the irritating habit of uttering terse, cryptic commands without regard for social niceties or the need to explain himself: “Rin, get the mail.” “Rin, stop playing your music.” “Rin, you’re disturbing the flow of the water.” What on earth is that supposed to mean? What made it almost worse was the sense that Haru was _actually_ _trying_ to be considerate.

When Rin had gotten here last Saturday, he’d arrived to find a surprisingly comfy (and suspiciously new-looking) futon already laid out in Haru’s room, with fresh towels and toiletries – “Since we’ll be sharing a bath, Rin” – to which Rin had promptly responded by going red and spluttering about propriety and decency and _did-you-have-to-put-it-that-way_. He joins Rin on his daily runs, is content with whatever shows or movies Rin chooses to watch, and even shows some interest in his workout regimens, commenting that Gou would approve (though Rin isn't sure that's an entirely comforting thought). In a way, Rin gets the sense that he is being given the opportunity to see a side of Haru that no one else has, to spend time with him that would normally be kept private. Somehow, that knowledge makes Rin feel something warm in his chest that… well. No need to think about that right now, no time to think right now, he’s always been good pushing those kinds of thoughts away anyways.

As Rin reaches for the door, he mentally braces himself. Living with Haru meant peace and quiet more often than not, with most of the excess chatter being generated by Rin. The moment he opens the door, however –

“RIN-CHAN!!!”

A blur of blonde hair and pink scarves launches itself at him, somehow managing to latch itself onto his back even as Rin nearly falls backwards from shock.

“Oi! Nagisa – what the – get off - OI!”

Despite his best efforts to dislodge him, Nagisa remains firmly attached to his back, like an octopus wrapped around its favourite rock. Once Rin manages to get his bearings, he looks up to see Makoto and Rei standing in the doorway, the latter with a bag of gifts in one hand and a disapproving frown on his face.

“Nagisa-kun! That kind of behaviour is entirely inappropriate for someone your age!”

Turning to Rin, Rei bows and says too-formally, “Good afternoon, Rin-san. I hope your stay with Haruka-senpai has been pleasant so far.”

“Uh, right. Yeah. Hi.”

“No need to be so formal, Rei-chan! You’ve met Rin-chan already, and didn’t you say that you really admired his butterfly technique and wanted to swim like him and –“

At that point, Rei turns red like a tomato, claps one hand over Nagisa’s mouth, and proceeds to pry him off of Rin with admirable efficiency (I’ve got to learn how to do that, Rin thinks) before marching him off down the corridor.

“Hi Rin. I’ll just go and set these down?” Makoto smiles warmly at him and gestures at the hot pot equipment in his hands.

“Right, of course.”

Still slightly bemused, Rin watches as Makoto makes his way into the house with well-practiced familiarity. It had taken some time for their friendship to repair itself, and there were still moments where things were a little stiff between them, but Rin was truly glad that everyone was here.

The whole thing was, of course, Nagisa’s idea. He’d declared, with a crafty glint in his eyes that Rin didn’t trust for a moment, that they should do Secret Santa and have a hot pot party at Haru’s. After all, he’d said, getting presents for everyone individually would be too expensive and isn’t hot pot perfect for the cold weather? Haru had seemed particularly reluctant and only relented after Nagisa had whined incessantly, burying his face in his shoulder, and Makoto had promised to make all the preparations. Weirdly enough, Haru had seemed somewhat mollified after that, which could only mean one of two things – either he had changed somewhat since they were children (possibly) or Nagisa had something planned up his sleeve (definitely).

As Rin follows them into the house, where Nagisa is already clamouring for presents to be opened and Rei is insisting that they should only do that after they’ve eaten – “It’s the only proper way to do things, Nagisa-kun!” – he thinks of the present that he had gotten. _Of course_ he gets Haru’s name in the draw, the most awkward person to shop for.

Getting an appropriate present for any of the others would have been easy, what with Nagisa’s sweet tooth, Rei’s bookish tendencies, and Makoto’s easygoing nature. What do you get someone who only seems to like water, who you’ve admired and known since you were children, and who simultaneously confuses and infuriates you while stirring up all sorts of feelings that you can’t put a name to and don’t want to think about?

Rin had gone from idea to idea, rejecting some for being too sentimental and some for not being, well, _enough_. In the end, he’d settled on a book cataloguing the famous waterfalls of Australia, figuring that seemed like it had enough of a personal connection and considering Haru’s affinity for that sort of thing.

The hot pot goes pretty much as expected, with Nagisa consuming an astounding amount of food for such a small person, Rei lecturing him constantly about table manners, and Haru insisting on including mackerel. Rin sits beside Haru the entire time and despite his complaints of Rin’s preference for red meat, Rin doesn’t miss how he’s content to stay close to him throughout dinner, his leg pressed comfortably against Rin’s and their elbows brushing as they eat. Makoto wears a small, contented smile as he prepares most of the food, unfazed by his friends’ antics, and Rin realizes how lucky he is to have rejoined them, to have gotten over his ridiculous insecurities and be welcomed back into their lives with open arms. He knows how much each of them has done for him, how much they’ve each persisted and sacrificed for his sake, and it makes him feel so full of gratitude he feels like he could burst.

Afterwards, as Rin helps to wash the dishes, Makoto turns to him.

“You know, I’m really glad that you’re here with us, Rin.”

Taken by surprise, Rin only manages a stuttered, “Huh?”

“We all are. Everyone’s been so much happier since we became friends again,” Makoto says, seemingly unperturbed by Rin’s incoherency.

“Well, that – I mean, I’m glad too, that is –“

“Especially Haru, you know? I know he doesn’t say much, but he doesn’t have to for me to know that he was extremely worried about you. We all were, but he was particularly… well. Honestly, I’m not sure he would have agreed to join the swim club in the first place if it wasn’t for the idea that it might bring him closer to you.”  

Feeling utterly overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotion, Rin can manage to do no more than stare at his childhood friend, mouth agape. He feels like his mind is suddenly everywhere at once – ashamed that he hurt his friends, grateful for their concern, embarrassed about the sentimentality of it all, pleased that they still care despite all he’s done, pleased and hopeful and _anxious_ that Haru had been worried, had done everything he could to help Rin, just because he _cared_.  

Makoto only smiles and squeezes his shoulder before heading to the living room to grab more dishes, perhaps sensing his friend’s emotional state and choosing to give him a chance to collect his thoughts.

Unfortunately, that chance was not to be had as Nagisa chooses that precise moment to cry, “Presents! Time for presents! Hurry up and get over here, Rin-chan!” The boy is bouncing up and down in his seat, practically vibrating with excitement, and he only seems to get more delighted as Rin walks into the room.

“All right! Mako-chan, you have the bag ready?” Makoto gestures at the bag of gifts beside him. “Perfect! Now, since Rin-chan is the only one not on our swim team and he spent most of the past year being a meanie, he gets to open his gift last,” Nagisa proclaims with a sly glint in his eye.

“What?” Rin and Rei burst out in unison.

“What kind of reasoning is that?!”

“Nagisa-kun, that is no way to treat a guest from another school –“

“Hush, Rei-chan. Since I came up with the idea of the gift exchange and I handled the name-draw, I get to decide.”

Haru rolls his eyes at Nagisa’s antics, but Rin notices that a slight flush has made its way onto his usually impassive countenance. Rei continues to protest, but Haru cuts him off. “Whatever. Let’s just get started already.”

If Nagisa’s expression had seemed a little crafty before, his grin now is positively devious. Rin has no idea what’s about to happen, but he knows that it can't be good. He sometimes regrets missing out on his friends’ growth and development through the years, but Rin isn’t sure he wants to know how Nagisa had gone from being an innocent grade-schooler to the little demon sitting in front of him.

“Alright, me first!” Nagisa reaches in to the bag and tears into a brightly wrapped parcel to reveal a package filled with little cylinder-shaped candies of every colour of the rainbow, some designed to look like slices of fruit, others with intricate designs of flowers, cakes, and animals. Attached to the bag is a card that reads –

“MAKO-CHAN!!” In a now familiar gesture, though Rin is relieved he isn’t the target this time round, Nagisa flings himself onto Makoto. “Thank you so much! These are so pretty and adorable and they look so good!”

Makoto smiles good-naturedly. “When I was visiting universities in Tokyo I came across a candy shop that’s supposed to be pretty famous. One look inside and I knew you’d probably like it.”

Once Nagisa’s managed to calm down somewhat, Rei goes next, opening his package to reveal an assortment of nice-looking stationery nestled in a mug with some wording inscribed on it. “Ah, Nagisa-kun, I’m so glad you see the beauty and practicality of such useful items–"

“Wait a minute, does that cup say ‘World’s Most Beautiful Butterfly’?” Rin asks.

Nagisa breaks out into gleeful cackling as Rei turns an even brighter shade of red than Nagisa’s sweets, before starting in on a spluttering lecture about the decency and appropriateness of certain Christmas gift choices while Haru, Rin, and Makoto try to stifle their laughter.

“Alright, alright, come on Rei. The rest of us want to open our presents too,” says Rin, drawing on all of his swim-captain experience to maintain a straight face.

Makoto's up next. He reaches inside, takes his gift out, and unwraps it to find...

A planner. 

For once, Makoto seems to be at a momentary loss for how to react. Rei, on the other hand, is gleaming with pride. 

"Is this not the perfect gift for you, Makoto-senpai? As our third-year captain, you must balance the many needs of the swim club with the strenuous demands of your academic studies! Fear not, I have checked to ensure that it is both optimally designed and aesthetically beautiful!"

"Uh, I see. Thank you, Rei. It's very thoughtful," says Makoto, his characteristic smile back in place. 

"You're very welcome!" Rei says, as the others look on in amusement. "And what, may I ask, is so funny, Nagisa-kun?" Rei rounds on Nagisa, who is doing a terrible job of muffling his laughter.

"Don't worry Mako-chan, I'll give you some of my candy after." 

"What's that supposed to mean?!" 

"Alright guys, it was a really nice gift. Let's let Haru and Rin open theirs now, OK?" says Makoto, ever the peacekeeper. 

Nagisa immediately stops giggling and pipes out, “Your turn, Haru-chan!”

Rin watches nervously as Haru reaches for his package and neatly unwraps it. As he looks at the beautiful photo of Wallaman Falls on the cover, his gaze softens and the edges of his mouth turn ever so slightly upwards in a small but undeniable smile that does disastrous things to Rin’s heart.

“Thank you, Rin.” Haru looks right at him with his clear, blue eyes, so much like the water that they both love, and Rin can’t think of a single thing except _I am so fucked_ , which he certainly isn’t going to say out loud. He can feel the heat rise in his cheeks and suspects that his face is well on its way to matching the colour of his hair, but for the life of him he can’t look away.

That is, of course, until Nagisa breaks in with an impatient, “Hurry up Rin-chan! Open your present!” Feeling even more off-balance than after his conversation with Makoto, Rin takes a shaky breath and reaches for the last gift. All the while, a steady stream of _How did I not notice this before?_ and the aforementioned _I am so fucked_ parade through his head. Seriously, Rin’s realized in the last several months that he’s rather proficient in the art of self-denial, but to not notice that he’s been crushing on his childhood friend that he’s admired since forever? Who did all he could to help him and revived his confidence and passion for swimming? That _really_ takes the cake.

Rin tears dolphin-themed wrapping paper off a thin, rectangular package to find dried cherry blossoms, beautifully arranged as if still on their branch and set within a wooden frame. It’s obvious who the gift is from and Rin looks up at Haru, who is staring sideways at the floor, cheeks pink.

“Thank you. It’s beautiful, Haru.” And he means it, too. It’s been a long time since he’s professed a love for cherry blossoms, but Rin’s touched that Haru remembered and (dare he think it?) hopeful of what it might mean.

Still not meeting his eyes, Haru says, “You're always complaining about missing the blooms and you’re such a romantic so I thought you’d like it.”

Rin marvels at how wonderfully preserved the flowers are, still vibrant in colour with each petal and detail intact. He looks up at Haru again.

“But where did you find this? I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Haru continues to stare resolutely at the ground without saying a word.

“Oh come on Haru-chan! You’ve already given it to him, might as well tell him!”

Puzzled, Rin glances at Nagisa and notices the gleeful mischief in his expression. Suddenly, it clicks.

“Wait a minute. You rigged the gift exchange, didn’t you? You knew that I was going to get something from Haru!”

Nagisa grins unabashedly. “Yep! And Haru-chan knew about it too, didn’t you?”

“Shut up, Nagisa,” Haru glares, looking as embarrassed as Rin has ever seen him.

“Wait wait wait. Why did Nagisa rig the exchange? Why did you know about it? And what does that have to do with where you got the flowers?!”

Still not looking at him, Haru mumbles, “I didn’t buy the flowers from anywhere, I made them. I pressed and dried them then framed them myself.”

“What?! But that doesn’t make any sense! Cherry blossoms bloom in _April_. You can’t have known about the gift exchange then.”

Haru’s cheeks are now flaming red and his mouth is set into a line, though he finally lifts his head to meets Rin’s gaze with a glare.

“No, I didn’t know about it then. So what?”

Rin’s thoughts are whirling a mile a minute and he struggles to catch up. When he speaks again, his voice is quiet, uncertain. “But we hadn’t made up back then. We hardly even spoke to each other. Did you make them for me even though you didn’t know whether we were going to be… to be friends again?”

At this point, Nagisa’s glee gets the better of him. “Oh come on Rin-chan, Haru-chan! Out with it! Just say what you mean already!”

Before either Haru or Rin can turn on him, Makoto raises his hands in a placating gesture. “Alright, I think that’s enough. Nagisa, Rei, c’mon, let’s give Haru and Rin some privacy.”

“What? Aww, Mako-chan! But I worked so hard to plan this!” Nagisa whines.

With Rei’s help, Makoto succeeds in getting Nagisa bundled up and headed over to his place with the promise of more sweets and hot chocolate. Once they're alone, Rin looks at Haru again.

“You made these for me even though you didn’t know if we were going to be friends again.”

“I hoped,” Haru says, voice quiet.

It takes Rin every single ounce of courage he possesses to ask his next question. “Is that all you hoped we would be? Friends, I mean.”

“Maybe,” Haru says, voice sullen and a pout forming on his lips. There's a pause. “Maybe not.” His eyes are everywhere but on Rin.

Rin laughs nervously and clears his throat. “Well, you know me. I always like to aim high.”

Haru’s eyes meet his and a quirky almost-smile makes its way onto his lips. “Yeah?”

Rin moves almost on auto-pilot, taking Haru’s hand in his. Their faces are just inches apart now and he has no idea how they got there. He grins and opens his mouth.

“Definitely.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I do love these boys so much :) As always, reviews and kudos are super appreciated!


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